In mining and construction, wear parts are commonly provided along the digging edge of excavating equipment such as buckets for dragline machines, cable shovels, face shovels, hydraulic excavators, and the like. The wear parts protect the underlying equipment from undue wear and, in some cases, also perform other functions such as breaking up the ground ahead of the digging edge. During use, the wear parts typically encounter heavy loading and highly abrasive conditions. As a result, they must be periodically replaced.
These wear parts usually comprise two or more components such as a base that is secured to the digging edge, and a wear member that mounts on the base to engage the ground. The wear member tends to wear out more quickly and is typically replaced a number of times before the base must also be replaced. One example of such a wear part is an excavating tooth that is attached to the lip of a bucket for an excavating machine. A tooth typically includes an adapter secured to the lip of a bucket and a point attached to the adapter to initiate contact with the ground. A pin or other kind of lock is used to secure the point to the adapter. Improvements in strength, stability, durability, safety, and ease of installation and replacement are desired in such wear assemblies.